NASCAR WCUP: Nemechek Win Keeps Hope Alive For Park
22 September 1999
#1 Pennzoil Monte Carlo driver Steve Park goes to Dover this weekend knowing that although 26 of the season's 34 races are complete there is still plenty of time to make his mark. Joe Nemechek who was 31st in the points before New Hampshire won Sunday proving that in racing you can quickly turn a season around. Park has already begun to turn his season around. He is ninth in points in the second half of the season. The top nine drivers in the season standings have all won races. Park hopes that will also hold true for the second-half leaders. Points Since The Pepsi 400 At Daytona 1 Tony Stewart 1422 2 Dale Jarrett 1298 3 Jeff Gordon 1274 4 Mark Martin 1260 5 Dale Earnhardt 1233 6 Bobby Labonte 1221 7 Jeff Burton 1157 8 Rusty Wallace 1110 9 Steve Park 1064 10 W. Dallenbach 1027 Park's Second Half Surge Daytona 500 - Daytona 400 Since Daytona 400 Feb. 13 - July 3, 1999 Since July 4 17 Points Races 9 Points Races Average Finish 26.8 15.5 Top 20s 5 8 Top 15s 3 6 % of Laps Completed 89% 99% Position in Points 31st 21st Park On: Did Joe Nemechek Give Everyone Hope? "After what Joe Nemechek did on Sunday at New Hampshire there are a lot of us who are thinking about a win. Not that we weren't thinking about it before but when someone goes out and shows it can be done then it makes it a little bit more realistic. This can be a frustrating sport. But the thing about this business is that it can all turn around in a hurry and Joe showed how you do that. Racing isn't like baseball where you might be thirty games out of the playoffs late in the season and you have nothing to play for. In racing every time they drop the green flag there is always the hope that this afternoon you will have what it takes to win. A victory would certainly turn a season around or make it even better. Our Pennzoil team is having an OK season so far but a win in one of the last eight races will make it a great season. That's the beauty of racing. That's what we all live for." Race Information Race: Sunday, September 26th, 1999 in Dover, DE TV: TNN 12:30pm/et 1998 Race Winner: Mark Martin Track/Race Length: 1.0 mile oval, 400 laps, 400 miles Practice: Friday, Sept 24th, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 9:30 -10:45 a.m. Saturday, Sept 25th, Happy Hour Practice: Saturday, Sept 25th, for 1 hour after the BGN race. First Round Qualifying: 1 lap for positions 1-25, Friday, Sept 24th at 3:30pm/et, TV-SpeedVision.and live via MRN radio. Second-Round Qualifying: Saturday, Sept 26th at 11:30am/et for 1 lap, positions 26-36 Event Qualifying Record: Mark Martin, September 1998, 155.966mph Track Qualifying Record: Bobby Labonte, June 1999, 159.320mph Last Year's Pole Sitter: Mark Martin, 155.966mph Pit Road Speed: 35mph
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